Manually operable electric lamp cord reel



June 20, 1933. BROSILOW m- AL mummy OPERABLE ELECTRIC LAMP com) REEL Filed Nov. 12, 1931 Patented June 20, 1933 UNITED STATES FF KCE.

LOUIS BBOBILOW, WILLIAM HABKOFF AND JOHN OBOSZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS HANUALLY OPEBABLE ELECTRIC LAMP CORD REEL Application fled November 12, 1981. Serial No. 574,858.

This invention relates to improvements in electric wire or cord retaining and adjusting devices for portable electric lamps, the invention having for an object to provide a device of such character which may be attached to the base of an electric lamp of prevalent construction and design, without alteration to or modification thereof, and when so attached, may be operated to either increase or decrease the length of the cord extending therefrom into engagement with the usual wall plug, electric socket, or other source of energy supply, hence, enabling a user to adjust said cord to that length required to make the desired electrical connection and in so doing, to avoid the presence of an excessive length of cord which is apt to become objectionable and unsightly, as through becoming tangled, etc.

It is also an ob]ect of the invention to provide a device of the character mentioned, capable of being manually operated whereby to efi'ect adjustment of the length of the electric cord extended from the point of entrance of the same into an equipped lamp, the manually operable meansv being rotatable and so arranged and constructed as to cause the cord to be taken in and retained in coiled formation free of bends, kinks, or similar conditions, and conversely, to permit the coiled cord to be uncoiled or unwound therefrom to enable the same to be extended from the equipped lamp to the desired length or point. y Y

35 Yet another and equally important object of the invention resides in'the provision ofthe device with a novel and meritorious casing for the cord reel, the same being so con 40 structed as to completely house said reel cord arranged thereon from dirt, dust or other similar accumulations, as well as to avoid fire hazarddue to possible short circuiting of the cord contained thereby; the

interior of the casing being accessible for inspection or repair thereof, or of the reel or cord.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out here inafter.

therein in a manner to protect it, and the In order that the invention or its mode of operation may be readily understood by thtse skilled in the art to which it apper tains, we have in the accompanying illustrative drawing and in the detailed description based thereupon, set out one possible embodiment of our invention.

In this drawing:

F igure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the lower portion or base of a prevalent type of portable electric floor lamp having the invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a transversehorizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction in which the arrows int,

F igure 3 is a fragmentary detail in perspective illustrating the formation of the'reel side and the electric wire or cord inlet way therein, and

Ifigure 4 is a fragmentary detail in side elevat on of a slightly modified form of handle or lever for imparting rotary motion to the reel of the device. I

Having more particular reference to the drawing, in connection with which like characters of reference will designate corresponding parts throughout, we have shown, for purpose of illustration only, our invention as being applied to a. portable electric lamp of the so-called floor-type, wherein, the numeral 1 designates thebase of said lamp, said base being of substantially frusto-conical formation, or if not this, then of such formation that the under side of the base provides a chamber or compartment, ,the purpose of which will be subsequently apparent; said base being equipped with the usual supporting feet 2 and having a screw threaded opening formed in the reduced and upper extremity thereof into which the usual lamp standard tubing connecting pipe 3 is adapted to be turned, the upper portion of the connecting pipe, of course, receiving the usual assembly of standard tubing ferrules and the like thereon, as indicate by the numeral 4. At this point, it is to be noted that the'standard tubing connecting pipe 3 has that end of the same engaged with the base 1, extended downwardly for a distance the same and is too screw threaded along its extended length as indicated by the numeral 5.

The invention may be stated to comprise what we term as a one-sided reel, that is, a reel constructed from a circular or otherwise shaped piece of sheet metal indicated by the numeral 6, the central portion of which is formed with a sleeve-like hub 7 having a way 8 formed. in one portion of the periphery thereof to allow for the coaxial introduction of one end of the lamp electric wire or cordv 9 onto the reel hub, as shown in the Figure 1.

A flat plate formed of sheet metal or other suitable material and indicated by the numeral 10, is fixedly secured, Toy soldering, welding or other suitable means, to the normally lower side and central portion of the reel side 6. The central portion of this plate is formed with a downwardly extending finger 11 adapted to receive the collar of a crank handle 12 thereover, whereupon the free end of the finger is flanged or swaged, as at 1 1 to efi'ect permanent connection as between said collar of the crank handle 12 and the pin 11. At this point, it is to he noted that the inner annular edge of the collar of the crank handie 12 is brought into full abutting engagementlwith the adjacent side of the plate 10 so that with fianging or swaging, as at 13, of the outer end of the in 11, a ri id and positive connection will effected tween the plate 10 and the operating crank handie 12.

To receive and rotatably support the reel 6, we provide the same with a casing or housing preferably shaped to approximately conform to the inside shape of the equipped lam base 1, as is shown in the Figure 1. Said casing consists of interengageable sheet metal sections 14 and 15, the latter being of a diameter slightly larger than the former and adapted to have slidable or overlapping engagement with the flanged marginal portion thereof. With the overlapping or slidable or substantially telescopic engagement between the marginall flanged casing sections 14 and 15, it will e seen that the same will serve to effectually and wholly house the reel 6 therein. The central portion of the lower section 14 is formed with a bearing opening snugly and rotatably receiving the collar of the crank handle 12 therethrough,

while the central portion of the upper section 15 is provided with an opening through which the electric cord 9 may pass into engagement with the hub 7 of the reel 6. A nut 16 is fixedly secured to the upper or outer side of the central portion of the section 15, surrounding the opening therein and is adapted t have the screw threaded lower end of the extension of the connecting pipe 3 turned into engagement. therewith, as is shown in the Figure 1. Hence, it will be understood that a means will be provided,

in this way, for fixedly and immovably supporting the reel housindg, comprising the sections 14 and 15, in an a justed or appropriate position within the chamber or compartment provided in the under side of the lamp base 1. Obviously, by varying the extent of screw threaded engagement of the screw threaded portion 5 of the connecting pipe 3 with the nut 16, the extent of engagement or mounting of the reel casing within the lamp base 1 may be regulated. Also, it will be seen that with the reel casing thus mounted upon the lower end of the connecting pipe extension, the lower side 14 of the reel casing will be exposed when the lamp is raised or tilted and consequently upon this, that ready access may be had to the crank handle 12 for rotatin the reel 6, when desired.

,The sections 14 and 15. constituting the reel casing, may be fixedly interconnected by any suitable means (not shown herein).

To permit of the passage of the electric cord into or from the reel casin and onto or from the reel 6, we form a way in one portion of the periphery of the casing. Immediately adjacent this way, we fixedly support a cord or eyelet 17, providing said eyelet with an inwardl extending attaching shank 18 adapted to fixedly connected to an appropriate portion of the section 14 of the reel casing. Accordingly, it will be understood that with passage of the cord 9through said way and through the eyelet or guard 17,. the same will be positively caused to be properly directed or fed onto the hub 7 of the reel 1 6, or, conversely, to be effectually uncoiled or unwound therefrom, as when the wire 9 a is being extended or drawn from the reel.

Vsith a view toward providing that portion of the electric cord in proximity to the reel hub with means for preventing excessive flexing, twisting or turning thereof, we may and preferably do, mold or otherwise 'form about said portion, a protective and bracing sleeve of rubber or composition matter, such as indicated by the numeral 19, extendin this protecting and bracing sleeve for a istance upwardly along that portion of the cord extending upwardly through the connecting pipe 3, as is shown in the Figure 1, and also, extending said protective or bracing casing 19 downwardly in elbowlike fashion to a point in abutting engagement with the adjacent portion of the inner periphery of the hub 7, at which point the cord 9 is passed through the way 8 in said hub for coiling arrangement thereabout.

is, that end extended from the base 1, as will be understood, is equipped with the usual electrical plug connection 20, whereb electrical contact may be made with a w I plug or like fixture from which the equipped lamp is to receive its sup ly of electric energy.

Instead of provi ing a reel 6 with a t pe of operating handle such as shown in the igure 1 and identified by the numeral 12, we may uip the reel with a type or construction :l operating handle such as is illustrated in the Fi re 4. In this particular embodiment, the nger 11' which is extended from the reel casing 14', has a flattened loo like bar or pin 21 extended diametrical y therethrough or diametrically en aged therewith. Thus, a wing-like form 0 handle will be provided the reel 6 housed within the easing 14', so that rotary movement may be manually imparted to said reel through the operating handle 21.

Manifestl the construction shown is capable of considerable modifications and such modifications as come within the scope of our claims, we consider within the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. In combination with the base and standard of a portable electric lam the standard engaging the base and exten ing within the same beyond its point of enga ement, reel supporting means nested within t e base, said sup ortin means being connected to the exten ed en of the standard and secured thereby in immovable engagement with the adjacent inner walls of the base, a reel rotatably received upon the reel supporting means, and

means engaging said reel for imparting rotation thereto.

2. In combination with the base and standard of a portable electric lamp, the standard engaging the base and extending within the same beyond its point of engagement, a casing nested within the base having its upper s1 e connected to the extended end of the standard and drawn by such connection with the standard into clampin engagement with the adjacent inner walls 0 the base, said casing having inlet and outlet openings formed therein, a reel rotatably received within the cas ng and means engaging said reel for imparting rotation thereto.

3. In combination with the base and standard of a portable electric lamp, the standard engaging the base and extending within the same beyond its point of engagement, 9. casing nested within the base having wire inlet and outlet ways therein, the upper side of said casing being connected to the extended end of the standard and being drawn by such connectioninto binding engagement with the adjacent inner walls of the vase, a reel rotatably received within the casing, and manually operable means connected to said reel and arranged without the casing in proximity to the their hands.

" LOUIS BROSILOW.

WILLIAM MARKOFF. JOHN OROSZ. 

